Bhubaneswar, Sept. 24: Two excise officials received minor injuries when a ganja (cannabis) peddler attacked them at Budha Nagar today.

The officials injured in the attack were excise inspector Damodar Parida and sub-inspector Dillip Behera. They were part of a team, which went to arrest Kathia Sahu, who had been selling the contraband in the area for past sometime.

The incident took place this morning when a team of around 10 excise officials reached Budha Nagar searching for Kathia. As soon as the team reached the spot, Kathia attacked the team members with an iron rod. His son also threatened them with a sharp weapon.

“While we were trying to arrest Kathia and his son, the former attacked us with an iron rod and around 30 women of the area threw stones at us. Though we arrested Kathia, his son escaped,” said inspector (mobile unit), Bhubaneswar excise, Samuel Ekka, who was part of the team. The officials also seized around 1kg of ganja from Kathia.

The excise officials raided the place following frequent complaints from the local residents about illegal sale of ganja. A complaint has been registered with Laxmi Sagar police station.

Psychoanalysis test

Based on the report of a psychoanalysis test, the police today said Dipti Patnaik, the main accused in the murder of Bachan Sudha Pattanayak, had committed the crime alone.

“The report stated Dipti had murdered the 53-year-old entrepreneur alone,” said police commissioner R.P. Sharma after the report of the test conducted on September 19 was submitted to the police.

Asha Shrivastav, a clinical psychologist of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in New Delhi, who is also working for the CBI, had conducted the test to find out the possible involvement of more than one person in the crime. Family members of Bachan Sudha had also alleged involvement of more than one person.

Sharma also said the police was verifying Dipti’s call details and trying to find out the persons whom he had met after committing the crime.

Although the police earlier had hinted loot as the motive behind the murder, later, it also suspected sudden provocation as another possible reason. “We have gathered sufficient evidences, including the weapon of offence. The evidences will be sufficient to hold Dipti guilty in the court of law,” said a senior police officer.

Bail plea

A local court during the bail plea hearing of US national William M. Hurtubise today directed the police officials to submit a fresh case diary.

“The police submitted the case diary on September 18. The court has directed the police to submit a fresh case diary on Thursday,” said public prosecutor Rashmi Ranjan Brahma.

The 27-year-old engineer was arrested from Biju Patnaik Airport for possessing eight rounds of live ammunition.